Green Petals
by Ember Nickel
Summary: Princess Organa signs her betrothal contract with Lord Vader. She's almost as excited about it as he is. [Writing Rainbow gift for darlingargents.]


I can't do this justice in a flash-exchange period (or maybe ever), but I'd seen the recipient prompt these two and always wondered "what if they sort of became friends as a result of an awkward engagement both were trying to get out of?"

* * *

"Your Highness," said Vader.

It was absurd, of course. He was far mightier a lord than she-he the Emperor's right hand, she the scion of a seditious world. And she was not by any means high off the floor of the Star Destroyer, especially not compared to the suited shadow.

Leia nodded stiffly.

"I am glad that you have been persuaded to take a...reasonable approach to this situation."

Reasonable, her foot. Her father was comatose after the assassination attempt, and Dravens itched for war even with the Alliance spread far too thin. Mon Mothma was exhausted playing the moderate in the Senate by day and agitating in the Rebellion at night.

But no matter how desperate they were, her allies would never seek a mere accommodation with the Empire. There would be no peace without justice. It was all Leia could do to stall for time. Let the galaxy think her a mere figurehead.

"Peace is the dear hope of those on Alderaan, as well as many of our-friends across the galaxy," she said carefully. "If it is yours as well, then I bear you no ill will."

"We each have our own methods of seeking after peace," the mechanical voice output. "I suppose we must get this over with so as to return to our duties."

She followed him down the corridor to where a silver protocol droid waved them impatiently through a sliding door. Leia restrained herself from laughing when she realized that the Empire had arranged a scroll of parchment. As if they were on some rustic moon where holos were an expense, where the Empire was not determined to make its presence felt. Fewer and fewer of those, those days.

The droid maneuvered a small but loudly-buzzing recording drone to take in Vader and Leia. She was dressed for an Alderaanian appearance rather than for the Senate; her skirt was the color of sobo-petals in spring. Not that most of the audience would care.

She affixed her name to the contract after Vader had, rather clumsily, appended his own. The cyborg, or whatever he was, had been built to pilot starfighters, not to clumsily grasp a quill and scrawl formalities.

An Imperial betrothal. As if the Empire had any ceremonies of its own; some lackey of the Emperor's had no doubt had to rummage through the Alderaanian history files to find a gesture they could appropriate. In the old Republic, her mother had said, no one married for political reasons. They married because they wished to, and politics was carried out in the Senate. Or occasionally with lightsabers.

"You ought to take one of our shuttles," Vader said. "Yours will attract attention, here."

"Take a shuttle?" she echoed. "Where?"

"I assume to your homeworld; even if you're so foolish as to associate with terrorists, I would hope you would not be foolish enough to do it on such an auspicious occasion."

"I'm not staying here?"

"Unless you enjoy repairing TIE fighters or monitoring the exports of kyber minerals, I do not think you would find it very interesting."

_I could_, Leia told herself. _If I had to fix a spaceship, I could._ "I wasn't sure how long this would take."

"This arrangement is for the benefit of your friends as much as mine. More so, you would do well to remember. I do not think they would take it well if you seemed to be a hostage."

Leia glanced up at the cyborg, shivering. He was not as malicious as she had heard, yet he seemed almost-bored by her presence. That was it? A signature, then nothing for another year? "I appreciate your hospitality, Lord Vader."

"I suppose we are going to need to adopt more intimate terms," he said.

"Oh?" She wasn't sure what his friends called him-no one was sure if the man even had friends. "Darth, is it?"

It was impossible to tell if he was grimacing or blushing or something in between. "'Vader' is acceptable."

He escorted her to a hangar where several transport ships waited in dock. They were all the same bland shade of silver-gray that adorned the hallways. Nearly everyone she'd seen on the Super Star Destroyer was either a naval officer in a drab uniform, or a monochrome security droid. Vader seemed to be some of each, which actually made him among the more diverse members of the crew.

"I'm afraid the admiral of this vessel was not interested in relinquishing newer models for such errands." He gestured to a shutle at the end of the row.

Those were their outdated models? No, he was just trying to intimidate her, impress her with her fleet size. "It's no inconvenience."

"Yes, well, I suppose some hyperspace transit delays won't be the end of the galaxy." She must have let her sabacc face slip, because he went on, "Between us, you don't need to feign enthusiasm. I assure you I had many more preferred usages of my talents in service to the galaxy than a marriage of state."

He was examining her face, not using his magical powers to read her mind. Wasn't he? Would she even know? "Just because I'm in an unfamiliar situation is no excuse for being curt. A diplomat must be adaptable."

"In that case, enjoy your respite. Perhaps you can hope that your superior officers are as feckless as the Republic Senate; they certainly could dawdle when they put their mind to it."

Was he taunting her? Trying to provoke retaliation? Or was he, too, frustrated with his bosses? "Until next time." She quickly boarded the shuttle, where at least she didn't have to face him.

It did not change the fact that his Force could see her; no helmet nor door would shield her from that. But he claimed to seek peace, seek it enough that he had accepted a role that was not his first choice. Maybe he would be willing, _wanting_ to stall.

Or, if it came to marriage, perhaps he would be merely willing to leave her alone.

* * *

Written to stand alone, but "Prohibited Degree" is a sequel!


End file.
